Create catalogue without creating new files and folders?

[zaphod234]

Hi: I'm having a good time with Calibre; it's feature-rich and if there are bugs I haven't found them yet.

Questions:
1. Can Calibre change the metadata (author, title, etc.) in the original ebook file (Word, PDF, epub, etc.)?

2. Can I create a catalog that contains all the medata for my ebooks without re-creating the books themselves?

I have a feeling that I can't be the first person to ask these questions, but I've tried looking at the FAQs, read a few of the pages of the "Catalogue" sticky, and tried a few key-word searches without success. If these questions have been answered, please feel free to scold, but please point me to the relevant thread(s). Thanks.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by zaphod234

1. Can Calibre change the metadata (author, title, etc.) in the original ebook file (Word, PDF, epub, etc.)?

Yes/No The "original ebook file" is never touched by Calibre. Calibre always makes a copy of it and stores the copy. The copy is normally an identical copy (html files are converted to utf-8 character encoding.) That original copy is not normally changed. However, for you to use that copy, Calibre must export it, and during the export process, it does get changed. If you Save to Disk, the metadata is updated. If you Send to Device to send it to an E-reader, the metadata is updated. If you Convert to another format, metadata is added to the new format. If you really want the metadata changed in the copy stored in Calibre's library, do a Convert to the same format.

(BTW, Calibre does not handle Word documents, .doc format, other than to just store it.)

[zaphod234]

Hi, Starson: First: Wow. Thanks for the very fast, courteous, and on-point response. May I ask some followup questions:

1. Is there a way to get the Calibre copy of the original document to retain the original file title? (I use: author last, author first - title, while Calibre places the title first.)

2. Is there a way to get Calibre to re-export ebook files back into a folder structure that duplicates the original folder structure? In other words, I would like to recreate the newly-updated files in their original folder structure. Thank you again.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by zaphod234

Is there a way to get the Calibre copy of the original document to retain the original file title? (I use: author last, author first - title, while Calibre places the title first.)

Calibre is designed without the concept of a filename for the books it catalogs. It's designed as a database that will export the ebooks inside when you want them with any filename you want. You specify the filename and folder name you want in Preferences Add/Save. You can use any piece of metadata as a part of the filename. You shouldn't directly try to access files in the Library.

Is there a way to get Calibre to re-export ebook files back into a folder structure that duplicates the original folder structure? In other words, I would like to recreate the newly-updated files in their original folder structure. Thank you again.

You can export into (almost) any folder structure you want using the Add/Save definitions and the metadata you have associated with the book.

[zaphod234]

That's about it, really. Thanks.